'We couldn't pass up Van Ryn'
Devils grab Michigan defenseman and Gomez in draft
Posted: Saturday June 27, 1998 09:08 PM
EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (AP) -- All those picks the New Jersey Devils have been stockpiling allowed Lou Lamoriello to deal for some scoring prospects in the NHL Entry Draft on Saturday, but only after taking a defenseman first.
The defensive-minded Devils grabbed University of Michigan freshman defenseman Mike Van Ryn with the next to last pick in the first round of the draft and then they quickly made a deal with
the Dallas Stars to take center Scott Gomez with the final pick of the opening round.
To get Gomez, a flashy center from Tri-Cities of the Western Hockey League, Lamoriello gave Dallas two second-round choices, the 39th and 57th picks overall. The lower choice was acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes in a deal for Jim Dowd a couple of years ago.
"We couldn't pass up Van Ryn," Lamoriello said in a telephone call from the draft in Buffalo. "He has a tremendous upside and we want sit and watch him over the next few years and decide when we want to take him out of school."
Van Ryn, 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, had four goals and 14 assists in helping the Wolverines win the NCAA championship in his freshman season.
"I used to be the guy who jumped in as the fourth forward, but with help from my teammates and coaches this past year I developed a defensive game," said Van Ryn, a 19-year-old London, Ontario, native who grew up rooting for the Detroit Red Wings.
Lamoriello is just as excited about Gomez, who had 12 goals and 37 assists in 45 games with Tri-Cities.
"He does things with the puck you just can't teach," Lamoriello said.
New Jersey picked up another exciting scoring prospect early in the second round taking Swedish junior Christian Berglund. He had 23 goals and 19 assists in 29 games for Farjestad. The pick was No. 37 and it came as compensation for New Jersey failing to sign Lance Ward.
Lamoriello made one other significant move early in the draft, acquiring the 82nd pick overall from the Edmonton Oilers for the 113th and
144th selections overall and the rights to center Fredric Lindqvist, a 1991 draft choice who never signed with New Jersey.
With the 82nd choice, New Jersey took Boston College forward Brian Gionta.
Later in the draft, New Jersey selected Finnish defenseman Mikko Jokela with the 96th pick overall and it re-drafted Pierre Dagenais
with the 105th pick, which it acquired recently from the Los Angeles Kings for defenseman Doug Bodger.
Dagenais was originally drafted in the second round of the 1996 draft by the Devils. He had 66 goals and 67 assists for the second most points in the Quebec Major Junior League this past season.
New Jersey also picked Russian forward Anton But with the 119th pick, a choice acquired from Vancouver this season for center Peter
Zezel.
"We feel very very good about the draft," Lamoriello said. "The trades were just a matter of timing."
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